Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

November 23
Sunday


OUT LASTING
BITTERNESS

READ:
Colossians 3:12-17
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
If anyone has a
complaint against
another; even as Christ
forgave you, so you
also must do.
__Colossians 3:13
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

During The second World war, Corrie ten Boom's family owned a watchmaking business in the Netherlands, and they actively worked to protect Jewish families. Eventually, the entire ten Boom family was sent to a concentration camp, where Corrie's father died 10 days later. Her sister Betsie also died in the camp. While Betsie and Corrie were in the camp together, Betsie's faith helped to strengthen Corrie's.

That faith led Corrie to forgive even the ruthless men who served as guards the ruthless men who served as guards during her concentration camp days. While hate and the desire for revenge continued to destroy many lives long after the concentration camps were gone, corrie knew the truth: Hate hurts the hater more than the hated, no matter how justified it may seem.

Like corrie, we each have the opportunity to love our enemy and choose forgiveness. Forgiveness doesn't excuse the offense but when we forgive we show Christ to the world. "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (eph. 4:32).

God will help you let go of every angry grudge as you watch the Spirit build into you a place where others see the Savior. __Randy Kilgore

`````````````````````The love of God within our hearts``````````````````````
```````````````````````````Enables us to show````````````````````````````
````````````````````Forgiveness that is undeserved`````````````````````````
``````````````````So others too might know. __Sper````````````````````````
________________________________________________________________________________________
When we forgive someone, we look more like Jesus
than of any other moment in our life.

****************************************Today's Bible Reading __ Colossians 3:12-17******************************

12 Therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved,
put on tender mercies,
kindness, humility,
meekness, longsuffering;

13 bearing with one another,
and forgiving one another,
if anyone has complaint
against another; even as
Christ forgave you, so you
also must do. 14 But above
all these things put on love,
which is the bond of
perfection.

15 And let the peace of
God rule in your hearts, to
which also you were called
in one body; and be
thankful. 16 Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly
in all wisdom, teaching and
admonishing one another
in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to
the Lord. 17 And whatever
you do in word or deed, do
all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God
the Father through Him.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Paul's letter to the Colossians was one of four letters Paul wrote
while being held as a prisoner in Rome. These four letters,
commonly called "The Prison Epistles," consist of Ephesians,
Philippians, Collosians, and Philemon. The church letters went to
three different destinations in two different regions of the ancient
world. Philippians was directed to the church at Philippi, a city
in Macedonia (ancient northern Greece), while Ephesians and
Colossians were written to two cities (Ephesus, Colosse) in Asia
Minor (modern Turkey). The personal letter to Philemon was also
delivered to Colosse, where Philemon is believed to have lived,
being actively involved in the church there. These letters were
probably intended to be circular letters that were read and passed
along to other churches.